A cutting board is a food preparation device that provides a flat work surface on which various types of foods are cut, sliced, diced, chopped, and otherwise processed by a food preparer to a desired size, shape, and consistency. The cutting board protects a countertop or like support surface on which it is placed from damage during this processing.
To avoid food contamination (cross-contamination), food-borne diseases, and taste alteration between certain types of food, such as fish, beef, pork, and poultry, on the one hand, that contain bacteria (e.g., salmonella, listeria, and escherichia coli), and other types of food, such as vegetables and fruits, on the other hand, it is known for the food preparer to use at least two cutting boards for the different types of food. However, purchasing and storing multiple cutting boards is burdensome, and there may not be any available space on the countertop to accommodate such multiple cutting boards. It is also known to configure a cutting board to be reversible, such that one work surface at one side of the board is used for processing one food type, and another work surface at the opposite side of the board is used for processing a different food type. However, some food preparers may forget which work surface is intended to be used for processing a particular food type, and as a result, cross-contamination may occur. The most common technique to avoid cross-contamination is simply for the food preparer to wipe off and clean the cutting board between uses for the different food types. The work surface of a cutting board can be rinsed or washed, preferably with soap, either by hand or by placing the board inside a dishwasher for cleaning. Yet, this takes time and care, and some food preparers may forget or only do a cursory cleaning, thereby compromising food safety.
Once the food is processed on a cutting board, there is typically waste or scraps that must be delivered to a waste disposal bin, and, of course, there is the processed food that must be delivered to a pot, a pan, a plate, or like kitchen equipment for eating and/or cooking. Typically, such deliveries are implemented, either by using a scraper or like utensil in which the waste/processed food is scraped off the board in multiple batches and hand-carried to the delivery site, or by picking up and hand-carrying the entire board to the delivery site at which the waste/processed food is removed from the board. Experience has shown, however, that such deliveries are sometimes accompanied by the waste/processed food falling accidentally off the board to the floor, which is not only messy and wasteful, but also unsanitary.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved cutting board that reliably avoids food contamination, that allows a food preparer to easily and readily dispose of waste, that allows the food preparer to easily and readily remove processed food from the board, and that is readily cleanable.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The structural components of the cutting board have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.